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Android 15 offers a glimpse of new Pixel Launcher animations
The changes include new animations, widget recommendations across categories, and more
All Google devices ship with Pixel Launcher as their default launcher. While there are quite a few things we hate about Google's launcher, it is still relatively customizable and packs valuable features, including At a Glance widget integration. With Android 15, Google plans to further improve the Pixel Launcher by introducing some quality-of-life improvements. A new report has detailed some of these changes.
Android 15 DP2 switches up your Pixel Launcher settings
Some options are moving, perhaps to make way for more settings
Irrespective of the custom Android skin you’re running, the user experience on even the best Android phones can feel like a letdown if the launcher isn’t perfect. If you are a personalization enthusiast, some of our favorite custom launchers on Android may be your last hope of survival. Google’s own Pixel Launcher isn’t perfect, but it strikes a fine balance between personalization and functionality. The latest updates in Android 15 make the launcher even better with functional improvements to the app drawer.
Google’s Pixel launcher will let you change the default search engine
You are no longer limited to using Google as the search provider in Google’s launcher, at least in the EU
In September 2023, the European Union passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA), giving "gatekeepers" like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet six months to comply with regulations to maintain competition or pay hefty fines. A few months later, Google outlined how it would comply with the DMA when it goes into effect in March 2024. Now, as a part of the changes to comply with the DMA, Google is rolling out a new "search engine" settings option in Pixel Launcher.
Your Pixel phone's search bar might not be Google-only for much longer
Android 14 has a hidden new menu where you can ditch Google as the Pixel Launcher's main search engine
Google has been dealing with regulators globally, with the company often getting called out for monopolistic practices. In dozens of countries, the search giant was told to let users pick their default Android search engine. Now, there's buzz that Google might be actually developing a new option to let you customize the Pixel Launcher's default search engine.
Google's At a Glance widget could soon be more transparent about where it gets its data
A new option in Pixel Launcher will soon show what apps are being used by the Smartspace widget
Apps need to access certain data in order to provide you with relevant info, and there’s usually nothing sinister about it. Trouble is, it’s gotten to the point where most of us treat permission prompts like a terms of service popup — we blindly tap “Yes” and move on. Thankfully, Google’s Pixel Launcher looks to be adding a privacy option that lets us see exactly what data is being used by the At a Glance widget, which should come in handy as the service continues to add new features that pull data from various sources like ridesharing and delivery apps.
This app brings Pixel Launcher search to any Android phone
Pixel Search is more than just a quick shortcut to Google search
The Pixel Launcher comes pre-installed on all Pixel phones. While it may not be as customizable as the best third-party launchers out there, it still offers some smarts that alternatives don't have. There is the At a Glance widget at the top that displays context-relevant data, and the Pixel Launcher's search is another strength. It doesn't just hook into the Google Search app, it offers advanced app, in-app, settings, and contacts results. A new third-party app called Pixel Search wants to bring this same experience to all other great Android phones.
Pixel Launcher universal search may let you search inside more apps, could come to third-party launchers
Get ready for some "search" semantic satiation
When you think of a Pixel, you might think of a great camera, features like automatic call screening, or even the many Pixel bugs, but there are other perks to ownership. The Pixel Launcher is so popular that some folk install third-party home screen replacements to mimic how it looks. In Android 12, it picked up universal search, with support for finding screenshots, widgets, and even queries in Google Search — as in "Googling" it. According to a recent teardown, it may pick up the same level of search integration to find things in Maps, YouTube, Settings, and the Play Store. And, based on a recent bug filed to the issue tracker, third-party launcher integration for universal search is on Google's roadmap.
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Google's making the Pixel Launcher search bar a lot more powerful
Screenshots, widgets, and more are coming soon
Google's Pixel launcher might not be the most feature-rich out there, but it comes with useful additions like the Discover pane and Lens integration built into the search bar widget on the home screen. With Android 12, Google added universal search to its Pixel-exclusive launcher, making it possible to explore your apps, contacts, settings, tips, and the web. Now, it looks like search is getting even more powerful than we previously expected.
After seemingly neglecting Android tablets for years, Google has finally started showing them some love with Android 12L and its numerous big-screen-specific optimizations and features. One of these was a very PC-style taskbar, offering a smoother app switching experience closer to that of a desktop. This new element is now undergoing further refinements in the freshly released Android 13 DP2, with the resurrection of a long-lost feature.
Android 12L Beta 3 adds a new denser grid size to the Pixel Launcher
But it's hard to trigger and probably won't show up on your Pixel
Android 12L Beta 3 landed today — at least, before Google pulled the downloads, for some reason. We're not sure if it's still rolling out or if Google's trying to walk the release back, and the company isn't telling us. However, among the changes spotted in this recent update are a new grid setting size for the Pixel Launcher, though it won't appear on your phone unless you play with DPI settings.
The Google Pixel Launcher is getting a nifty screenshot search feature
As with all the best stuff, it's Pixel-only
Not too long ago, the concept of an Android launcher was pretty straightforward — a home screen where you can quickly start your apps or add a few widgets to see info at a glance. Nowadays we expect much more from our launchers, such as the Google Discover pane and a prominent search function. The Pixel Launcher is probably the best example of a modern launcher, and thanks to a new update, it can now look for screenshots inside your phone too — without needing to open any other app.
On Android 12 Beta 5, the Pixel Launcher's search bar can find (almost) anything
Say hello to semi-universal search in the Pixel Launcher
Search is an almost universal element of human interface design, but it's still largely limited by context. In Android 12 Google has been expanding that to allow a single search from the home screen cover everything — your apps, contacts, settings, and wider content from the web via a link. While we've seen glimpses of this functionality in earlier betas, Beta 5 seems to be opening it wide.
Android 12 Beta 5 fixes the annoying square search bar
Back to rounded edges with the new universal search, which is also now live
Among the more vexing changes in the Android 12 Betas to date has been the apparent bug that caused the search bar/widget built into the Pixel Launcher to lose its curves, not just appearing as a hard-edged square but with an off-center Google logo, to boot. As far as pedantically tiny frustrations go, it was maddening. Android 12 Beta 5 thankfully fixes that problem, and it looks like it won't be an issue when it hits stable.
We've known for a few months now that Google planned to add a Lens shortcut to the search bar in the Pixel Launcher, but it was unclear when or even if the icon would make its way to all users. It seems like it might be timed with the upcoming release of Android 12, as new sightings of the logo within the widget are starting to pour in.
Android 12 Beta 4 reveals more changes for enhanced search bar functionality
It's still not user-facing, but more of it works now
Android 12 has at least one more hidden trick up its sleeve, and that's the long-rumored search universal changes for the launcher — which may even at least partially extend to third-party launchers via a new API. The new feature still isn't user-facing, but it's getting closer, and the folks at XDA Developers have been able to enable more functionality for the new search system in Android 12 Beta 4.
Google extends Material You's dynamic app icon themes to more of its apps in Android 12 Beta 3
Third-party apps next, please?
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Android 12 Beta 2 first introduced monochrome icons for Google apps based on your wallpaper's colors, much like other interface elements as part of Material You or Monet. Beta 3 expands on these capabilities. It's the first release of Android 12 that introduces a user-facing toggle to turn on or off these themed icons in the Wallpaper & style app, and while it's at it, it's adding a ton more Google apps to the list of supported icons.
Android 12 Beta 3 decorates the Pixel Launcher with Material You accents
It's both a little hard to trigger reliably, and slightly confusing UX with different colored buttons
Android 12 Beta 3 has a bunch of new Material You integrations for the platform's dynamic theming system, and nestled among them (which we're still digging through) is a tweak to the Pixel Launcher. It seems pretty buggy and inconsistent in our testing, and it has some UI implications that could make Google reconsider it, but individual items in the Pixel Launcher's long-press menus can now inherit multiple, separate colors according to your wallpaper and what's directly behind the individual buttons.
The Pixel Launcher is getting some subtle design tweaks in Android 12 Beta 2
New outlines do a better job at showing exactly what space an app icon will occupy
Android 12 Beta 2 finally introduced some of the more enticing changes like wallpaper-based theming and the privacy dashboard, but Google has also tweaked some other parts of the latest release while it was at it. Among these is the Pixel Launcher, which now more clearly shows you the grid when moving app icons and widgets around.
There's nowhere Google Lens won't follow you — it's coming to the Pixel Launcher search bar next
Every move you make, every breath you take ...
Google Lens is an incredibly powerful tool that probably gets used way too little — you need to know how to access it in the first place, and even though Google isn't shy about adding it almost anywhere you could think of, it might still not be as discoverable as the company would like it to be. That's probably why it's experimenting with adding it to the homescreen search bar on Pixel phones.
Android 12 DP3's new grid size makes your homescreen less overwhelming
With a new roomier 4x4 grid layout
The ability to customize software as you wish is among the most attractive traits of Android, and Google is looking to give users even more choice with Android 12's hidden extensive theming options. While these have yet to become available to everyone in the latest developer preview of Android 12, Google is adding yet another grid size option to the Pixel launcher that aims to make your home screen less overwhelming.